Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

It's one of the most original films you'll likely see all year, which, depending on your threshold for certifiably crazy storylines, could be a rewarding experience or one that frustrates you.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

I am a big fan of movies both modern and classic. I like many movies despite some uncomfortable moments due to changing times and beliefs. This movie, however, I found appalling. The plot from beginning to end, promotes rape culture. It does not matter if it is a well acted movie with famous stars, it still champions faulty ideas about how men are allowed, even encouraged to treat women. Ideas that still today mislead young men into thinking their behavior is not rape. Deceive a woman, that's OK, stalk her, that's excusable, forcibly break into her apartment and kidnap her, no problem as long as you propose. She'll fall at your feet and marry you too. Think that last one doesn't happen today? It happened here in Maine about two years ago. A troubled young man kidnapped a young woman thinking she would fall in love with him when he "rescued" her. The girl ended up dead. Perhaps remembering that event colored my opinion. I still maintain that some classic movies can be enjoyed over and over, even today. Others really need to be left in the past.

A man (Rock Hudson) and woman (Doris Day) share a telephone line and despise each other, but then he has fun by romancing her with his voice disguised.This is an absolutely brilliant romantic comedy. Today (2015) it might confuse people, because the concept of "party lines" is so foreign. But it was quite clever in its day, and remains rather humorous now.One thing in particular that is strange now is the part where it is suggested that Rex is gay. (Never said directly, but strongly implied.) We know now that Rock Hudson himself was actually gay. And it seems that some people at the time must have been aware. Doris Day likely knew, as the rumor had been around for years when this film was made.

Two New Yorkers (Rock Hudson, Doris Day) sharing a party line find themselves annoyed with one another. He's a womanizer who monopolizes the phone to talk with his many girlfriends. She's a fuddy duddy who doesn't think much of his lifestyle. Eventually he sees her and realizes what a looker she is, so he pretends to be someone else to date her.I'm a big classic movie fan but there's something about this period (late '50s through the early '60s) that just leaves me cold. I can count on one hand the number of films from this period that I genuinely love. This is not one of them. I did enjoy this and I think it's good and daring for its time, but it just didn't connect with me like it obviously has so many others over the years. For one thing, I have never really cared much for Doris Day. Nice singing voice, pretty enough, but there's something so staid and sober about her that I find it hard to become invested in her characters in these types of movies. I recognize mine is a minority opinion among classic film fans. I know others like her but she just doesn't do it for me and I find her much-touted chemistry with Rock Hudson to be overstated.Anyway, this is considered by many to be their best movie and I can see why. It moves along at a nice pace and the comedy is somewhat risqué for the time. The fashions and sets will appeal to those who are fans of the period. Hudson is having a blast and it shows. I already gave my opinion on Day but, if you're a fan, you'll undoubtedly enjoy her here. Tony Randall and Thelma Ritter steal the show in supporting roles. The recurring bit with the obstetrician who thinks Rock is pregnant is probably the funniest part of the movie. The screenplay won an Oscar (!) and Doris Day was nominated for one (!!). How either of those things came about from this I will never know. Must have been a slow year.

There are some films that are absolutely perfect in every way and this is one of them. No matter how many times I see it, I just enjoy every moment, savoring it like a delectable pastry. The fact that the script won an Oscar is indicative of how good the film is. When Doris Day talked to Rock Hudson about the script she said it was very funny and she was right on the money. Apparently, Hudson had some misgivings about doing a light comedy when he had developed into a top flight dramatic actor. He was the top male lead in movies at the time and did not want to do a thing to damage his reputation, but Day convinced Hudson the film would work and they would have fun making it and they did. And they became fast friends too with Day standing by Hudson even during the darkest days of his life with AIDS. The fact that Day and Hudson followed up this film with an equally good one with Lover Come Back is even more incredible. Between Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back Day and Hudson established themselves as one of the great romantic pairs in film.